But the charity has hit back in a statement issued to the Irish media on Sunday night.

The Irish Times newspaper reports that the charity said: “Young people are having sex whether the Sunday Independent or Deputy Michelle Mulherin like it or not. Some of them are having sex with more than one person, and sometimes with more than one person at the one time.

“We do not promote threesomes, we arm young people with the facts about them. We advise young people not to be coerced or pressured into having any form of sex.

“It is widely accepted that sex education in Irish schools is poor and inconsistent, and that education needs to begin early.

“Spunout.ie exists to provide balanced, reliable and responsible information for 16 to 25 year olds only. The age of consent in Northern Ireland is 16. SpunOut.ie is an all-island charity.

“All too often, older generations avoid having conversations with their young people about difficult subjects. This is particularly true in relation to sex.

“Parents feel uncomfortable talking to their children about it and teachers are afraid to raise the subject in the classroom. An adult’s discomfort does not negate a young person’s right to information.

“Silence does not breed confidence, instead it creates fear and confusion.”

In response, the religious group The Iona Institute said public funding for Spunout.ie should be suspended.

The Iona Institute said: “It should be suspended because of the group’s radically pro-choice philosophy, its promotion of an extremely permissive approach to sexual behavior among teenagers.

“And also because of the way in which the role of parents in the lives of their teenage children is almost completely sidelined on the site.”